Department for Transport

Driving under Influence

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Department for Transport figures showing a rise in the number of drivers failing a breath test.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have reviewed (1) the drink driving limits across Europe, and (2) the proposed changes to the limit in Malta; and what assessment they have made of the limit in England and Wales in the light of those limits.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Our assessment of Home Office figures on breath tests is that the proportion of drivers providing a positive or refused to provide a sample over recent years has remained constant, with only a slight rise in 2014 to 11% compared to 10.5% in 2013. By contrast, it was 20% in 2003. With Malta due to change their drink drive limit, all other European countries will have a lower alcohol limit, but they do not necessarily have a better record on reducing drink drive casualties. The TRL Report ‘PPR 796’ prepared for the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transport Safety (PACTS) shows that Britain, rather than having a higher level of road casualties in collisions involving alcohol than other European countries, has a comparable level despite the higher limit. Harmonisation with other countries’ limits is not a reason on its own for lowering the limit. We therefore have no plans to lower the drink drive limit in England and Wales. Our approach in tackling drink driving is through rigorous enforcement, tough penalties, and changing the social acceptability of drink driving – including through our award-winning THINK! campaigns.

Driving under Influence

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the percentage of drivers or riders involved in a road accident who were given a breath test, for each of the last five years; and what assessment they have made of the change, if any, in that percentage.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: A significant majority of road accidents are damage-only incidents where all participants exchange insurance and contact details. In line with s170 of the Road Traffic Act there is no requirement to report these incidents to the police and, unless there is a specific need for it, the police will not attend the scene. In these cases no breath tests are carried out and the accident is not recorded. As a result, it is impossible to state what percentage of drivers involved in all accidents are given a breath test as the total number of drivers involved in accidents is unknown.

Aviation: Egypt

Lord Dear: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 24 October (HL2344), what assessment they have made of the impact specifically on the British tourism and airline industries of the ban on air flights between the UK and Sharm el Sheikh.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Department for Transport conducts expert assessments on aviation security at overseas airports. We do not assess the impact on the tourism and airline industries of any restrictions on flights. Following the crash of Russian Metrojet Flight 9268 in October 2015, FCO travel advice was changed to advise against all but essential travel by air between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh. We fully recognise that Egypt is an important partner for the UK and tourism to Sharm delivers a sizeable contribution to Egypt’s economy. UK aviation security experts have worked closely with their Egyptian counterparts on the ground, sharing their expertise in establishing effective security arrangements. We continue to work in partnership in a spirit of cooperation, and are grateful for Egypt's close engagement and partnership. We look forward to achieving the return of flights once we can be assured that the necessary security environment can be sustained. We recognise that UK carriers previously found the route commercially attractive, though this does not necessarily mean that this will, at least initially, be the case once flights are able to return.

Heathrow Airport

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the announcement of a third runway at Heathrow, a sixth terminal will be constructed.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Heathrow Airport Ltd’s current proposals include building new terminal facilities. These proposals will be refined and finalised through the detailed planning and regulatory processes.

Heathrow Airport

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of non-UK workers that it will be necessary to recruit to work on the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The construction of the runway will be a matter for the airport operator and this is not an assessment that we’ve undertaken. However, on the issue of jobs and skills more generally up to 77,000 additional local jobs are expected to be created over the next 14 years and the airport has committed to creating 5,000 new apprenticeships over the same period.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Flood Control: Finance

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government (1) what was the total amount of funding allocated for flood relief following the floods in the UK in 2015–16; (2) what proportion of the funding has been allocated so far; and (3) what arrangements are in place to allocate any remaining funding to businesses and individuals who have made a claim.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Government committed over £330 million to repair infrastructure help householders and businesses get back on their feet as swiftly as possible following Storms Desmond and Eva in December 2015. Almost 90 per cent of this total has been allocated so far to local authorities for this purpose. It is for local authorities to determine arrangements for further allocations to businesses and individuals who have made a claim.

Floods: European Union Solidarity Fund

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 12 May (HL8174), what further progress has been made in their application to the EU Solidarity Fund for flood relief, and when they anticipate that the first payments from the fund will be made.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The Government submitted its final application to the European Union Solidarity Fund in respect of the exceptional flooding in winter 2015-16 on 22 September 2016. The application is now being reviewed by the European Commission and if successful, will be subject to the usual budgetary process.

Local Government Services: Fees and Charges

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 21 September (HL1798) concerning local authority financing, whether they are planning to recommend to local authorities that charges for non-essential services should cover the full costs of, or make a profit on, those services.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Local authorities already have sufficient powers to charge and trade for discretionary services and are able to make these decisions themselves.The Local Government Act 2003 granted powers for local authorities to charge and trade for services that they have a power to provide but are not obliged or have a duty to provide. The power for local authorities to trade commercially is only exercisable through a company structure and like other bodies, local authorities are subject to and must abide by competition law.These powers were incorporated in the general power of competence provisions set out in the Localism Act 2011 and allow local authorities to do anything that individuals generally may do unless it is specifically prohibited in law.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Fuel Poverty: Scotland

Lord Wallace of Tankerness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations and conclusions of the reports, published in October, from the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group and the Scottish Fuel Poverty Strategic Working Group which relate to areas of their responsibility.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Her Majesty’s Government has not made any assessment as fuel poverty is a devolved matter for the Scottish Government.We are aware of the reports published on 24th October and will consider their findings and recommendations with interest.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Staff

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK civil servants, and of what grade, who work in units, directorates or sub-departments within the FCO are charged with EU policy formulation, advising on EU policy or enforcing EU policy.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Europe Directorate lead on providing advice to FCO Ministers on European Union (EU) and EU-related issues. However, staff in other Directorates in London, as well as staff in our diplomatic missions around the world, also on occasion work on EU or EU-related issues. It is not possible, therefore, to give precise figures.

North Korea: Shipping

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports about the reflagging of North Korean ships in Tanzania; and whether they have raised that issue at the UN Security Council.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government is aware of such reports and have raised concerns this year with the Tanzanian Government about their shipping register. We continue to have discussions with partner states, and the UN Panel of Experts on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), regarding the misuse of country flags by ships connected to the DPRK. We take such misuse seriously and urge all countries to abide by UN Security Council resolutions. UN Security Council Resolution 2270 calls upon Member States to de-register any vessel that is owned, operated or crewed by the DPRK, and not to register any such vessels that have been de-registered by another Member State.

Syria: Military Intervention

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made or intend to make representations to the government of Spain concerning the reported refuelling in Spanish ports of Russian military vessels engaged in or supporting military operations in Syria; and what assessment they have made of those reports.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We understand that Russia withdrew its request for access to the port at Ceuta on 26th October.

Egypt: Aviation

Lord Stone of Blackheath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the security implications of increasing unemployment in Sharm el Sheikh arising from the continued ban on flights between Sharm el Sheikh and the UK.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are not aware of any indications to date that the UK and Russian suspension of flights to Sharm el-Sheikh is having a negative impact on the security situation there. We are conscious of the economic impact which flight suspension and the resulting drop in tourism continues to have. We look forward to achieving the return of flights once we can be assured that the necessary security environment can be sustained. The safety of British nationals is our main concern.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Chinese diplomatic visits to both Damascus and Moscow, whether they are planning to meet a representative of the People's Republic of China with a view to finding a solution to the crisis in Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: China abstained from the 8 October vote on the Franco-Spanish draft UN Security Council Resolution. China voted in favour of Russia's draft Resolution that day. This Russian text made no demand for an end to the aerial bombardment of Aleppo. On 18 October, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Ellwood) met Chinese Special Representative for Syria, Mr. Xie Xiaoyan. They discussed the recent Security Council vote on the Aleppo humanitarian resolution and future resolutions, including on the use of chemical weapons. Our diplomats in Beijing and New York continue to raise at the highest levels of the Chinese system the importance of UN unity in bringing an end first the bombing and then the civil war, in Syria.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to discuss with the government of the People's Republic of China the abstention of China in September on Russia's resolution in the UN Security Council calling for an end to the bombing of Aleppo.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Ministers and officials of the UK Government regularly meet representatives from the People's Republic of China to discuss the crisis in Syria. Most recently, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Ellwood) met Chinese Special representative for Syria Mr. Xie Xiaoyan on 18 October. Mr. Ellwood stressed the importance of fellow permanent members of the United Nations Security Council working together to help resolve the conflict.

Sudan: Weapons

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the role of Iran and North Korea in the building of factories for the production of munitions and weapons in Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We are aware of claims that these countries may have previously cooperated with Sudan in the manufacture and trade of weapons. We continue to fully support the EU arms embargo on Sudan as well as the UN arms embargo specifically on Darfur.

Sudan: Public Expenditure

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of the gross domestic product of Sudan which is used on (1) its army and security sector; and (2) developing basic infrastructure.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: ​It is not possible to estimate with a high degree of certainty the percentage of Sudan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) spent on security and development as the Government of Sudan does not publish the national budget. From figures provided by the World Bank in 2014, we are aware that 5 per cent of Sudan's GDP was spent on pro-poor expenditures, which includes spending on infrastructure.

Sudan: International Criminal Court

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the international Criminal Court and its work in Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: ​The UK supports UN Security Council Resolution 1593, which urges all States to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its Prosecutor with regards to the situation in Darfur. The UK fully respects the ICC as an independent organisation; it is the responsibility of the Office of the Prosecutor of the Court to take forward the investigation.

Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe: Finance

Lord Bowness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the contribution provided by the UK to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in each of the last three years.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The United Kingdom's assessed contribution to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's unified (regular) budget is paid in Euros and in the last three years were approximately as follows:2014€15.2 million2015€14.3 million2016€14.3 million Additionally, the United Kingdom has funded the deployment of election observers to various Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights missions across the OSCE in the last five years as in the table:2014£619,000.2015£583,000.2016£517,000 (to end of October) The UK has also contributed bilateral funding to various OSCE -implemented projects over the past five years. Funding for these projects were agreed on a case -by -case basis and there is no central record of all the contributions.

Sudan: Female Genital Mutilation

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the extent of the practice of female genital mutilation in Sudan; what assessment they have made of reports that in some parts of the country the practice is as high as 90 per cent; and whether female genital mutilation in Darfur is increasing.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Sudan has one of the highest rates of female genital cutting (FGC) for women and girls aged between 15 and 49 years old. We are aware, according to figures from the Population Reference Bureau (2010), that in some parts of the country rates reach as high as 89 per cent. In Darfur specifically, the latest official figures we have are provided through the UNICEF Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014. It is not possible to say with any certainty whether prevalence of FGC has either increased or decreased over the last two years; the next MICS report is due in 2018. Through the Department for International Development, the UK is providing £12 million over five years to support Sudan’s efforts to end FGC across the country.

Omar al-Bashir

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the indictment of Omar al-Bashir fits into their approach to UK–Sudan relations.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We maintain a position of only 'essential contact' with President Bashir, given his outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UK remains a firm supporter of the ICC and encourages all States to act on its indictment.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to make any proposals to the governments of Israel and Palestine to prevent the radicalisation of adults and young people in Gaza and the West Bank as a result of unemployment and lack of freedom to move.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK Government regularly discusses the future of the Occupied Palestinian Territories with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities. We are clear that it is necessary for the parties to take urgent steps to encourage prosperity and development in the West Bank and Gaza. We will support those efforts that we believe will take us closer to seeing a peaceful Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.

Zimbabwe: Elections

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe on the reported failure of law enforcement agencies in that country to act to bring to justice perpetrators of violence and intimidation in electoral contests in Zimbabwe.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: ​The UK condemns the use of violence and intimidation in elections. We have been concerned by recent reports of police violence, both during by-elections and in response to civil protests. We regularly urge the government of Zimbabwe to end human rights abuses and restore internationally accepted standards. British officials visited Norton, the location of the most recent by-election, on two occasions, as part of a ‘Diplomatic Watch’ observation mission with Australian, US and EU colleagues. They spoke to the candidates, urging calm. The group will now write to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, outlining its observations. We frequently urge the government of Zimbabwe to implement the provisions of the 2013 constitution, including those that relate to electoral reform.

Itai Dzamara

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last made representations to the government of Zimbabwe regarding the whereabouts of the political and human rights activist, Itai Dzamara, who was abducted on 9 March.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK Government frequently raises human rights with the government of Zimbabwe including specific issues such as the disappearance of Itai Dzamara or the disproportionate response of the police to peaceful protesters. EU Member States released a statement on 9 March to mark the one year anniversary of Itai Dzamara's disappearance and another on 12 July to express concern at the reports of human rights abuses during and in the aftermath of protests. The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge) raised human rights when he met Zimbabwe Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa on 5 July; the Department for International Development Permanent Secretary Mark Lowcock raised human rights with Mr Chinamasa on 8 October; the British Ambassador to Harare raised human rights with the Zimbabwean Minister for Information, Media and Broadcasting on 18 October.

Nationality: Gibraltar

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people there are resident in Gibraltar who have (1) UK, (2) Spanish, and (3) dual, citizenship.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Information regarding citizenship in Gibraltar is recorded and held by Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar. According to the 2012 Census of Gibraltar, there were resident in Gibraltar 25,444 Gibraltarian nationals; 4,249 UK/other British nationals; and 675 Spanish nationals. Dual nationality is not recorded.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the statement by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator to the Security Council on 19 October that Hamas is holding two Israeli citizens and two bodies of Israeli soldiers, and that the bodies of 18 Palestinians are being withheld by the Israeli authorities, whether they intend to make representations to Hamas and the government of Israel calling for the return of those persons and bodies.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK Government supports the Israeli Government's calls for the repatriation of the bodies of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin and Staff Sergeant Oron Shaul and the release of Avraham Mengistu and another Israeli civilian held in Gaza. However, due to our no contact policy we have no plans to raise these issues with Hamas. Officials from the British Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised the return of Palestinian bodies with the Israeli authorities.​

Sudan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to engage Sudanese civil society and opposition groups on (1) the shape of the Khartoum Process, and (2) the UK’s new dialogue with the government of Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: ​The UK engages with a wide range of stakeholders to inform our policy making. We have regular contact with civil society and opposition groups both in London and Khartoum. Where appropriate, we have fed their views into discussions on the Khartoum Process and the issue of migration as a whole, as well as our dialogue with the government of Sudan.

Horn of Africa: EU Immigration

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, as part of their evidence-based response to addressing irregular migration through Sudan and neighbouring countries, they have made, or intend to make, any impact assessments of the implementation phase of the Khartoum Process.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK, as the current Chair of the Khartoum Process, works closely with the Secretariat to maintain a map of current and proposed projects, and ensure effective coordination and monitoring. The European Commission has responsibility for assessing implementation against the Valetta benchmarks and outcomes, and conducting the full audit and review of the EU funding programmes.

Kashmir

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to offer to mediate between India and Pakistan to find a lasting and peaceful solution for Kashmir.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: ​As the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Alok Sharma) said in the House of Commons on 18 October, the UK's long-standing position, held by successive Governments of all hues, is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or act as mediator.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of calls for an urgent UN General Assembly resolution condemning the targeting of civilians in Syria.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Russia has blocked the UN Security Council's ability to take action on the situation in Syria. Most recently on 8 October Russia used its veto on a UN Security Council resolution about the appalling and worsening humanitarian situation in Aleppo, despite strong support among the international community for the resolution. This was the fifth Russian veto on Syria and once again stopped the UN Security Council from taking action needed to give the people of Syria any hope for respite from their suffering. In the face of such obstacles it is understandable that the international community is using the General Assembly to try to make its condemnation of the situation in Syria heard. The UK strongly condemns human rights violations and abuses in Syria, as well breaches of international humanitarian law.Russia has a unique influence over the Syrian regime and should exert that influence to good effect by pushing the regime towards the political process. The UK is consulting closely with likeminded international partners on what can be done to reduce the violence, improve humanitarian access and get the situation back to a point where political negotiations can resume.

Department for Exiting the European Union

UK Trade with EU

Lord Hain: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU a free trade agreement between the UK and the EU, similar to that agreement between South Korea and the EU, would avoid the need for ratification by all other EU member states.

Lord Bridges of Headley: As we have made clear, the Government is committed to getting the best deal for the UK when we leave the EU – one that is unique to the UK and not an ‘off-the-shelf’ solution. This must mean controls on the numbers of people who come to the UK from Europe – but also a positive outcome for those who wish to trade in goods and services.If the UK were to agree a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU similar to the EU-South Korea FTA, then full application of such an FTA could require domestic ratification procedures across all remaining EU Member States. The FTA could be applied provisionally after agreement by the Council and the European Parliament.

UK Withdrawal from EU

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park on 24 October (HL Deb, col 44), whether they will undertake to provide a running record of ministers' and civil servants' meetings on Brexit with individuals, organisations, businesses and other relevant stakeholders, along with the topics of those discussions.

Lord Bridges of Headley: Details of Ministerial meetings will be published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK. Details of sectoral roundtables are published on the GOV.UK website when they occur.

Department for Education

Pre-school Education

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to continue to improve quality of early education for two-, three- and four-year olds, including increasing graduate leadership.

Lord Nash: The Government wants all children to have access to quality early education, as this makes a difference to their outcomes in later life. That is why we have taken the following steps to support the quality of early years provision: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) helps early years providers to prepare young children for school and improve their life chances by requiring them to deliver high-quality provision. The 2015-16 EYFS Profile results show that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development continues to increase – 69% in 2016 compared to 52% in 2013. We work closely with Ofsted to ensure a robust regulatory and inspection framework to drive continuous improvement in quality. The sector has responded positively and the latest statistics show that 86% of early years providers were rated “good” or “outstanding” as of 31 March 2016. The quality of the workforce continues to improve, with 87% of staff in full day care settings now qualified to level 3. The Department is also developing a workforce strategy that will aim to remove barriers to attracting, retaining and developing staff. The Government recognises that graduates play an important role in improving quality in the early years, and that is why in 2013 we introduced the early years initial teacher training programme which leads to the award of Early Years Teacher Status. We have made a significant investment in this programme by providing funding for course fees and bursaries to eligible trainees, and also funding for employers to support trainees. As such, the number of graduates in the workforce continues to rise, and between 2008 and 2013 the proportion of full day care staff with a degree or higher increased from 5% to 13%.

Children: Day Care

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the number of children who will no longer be able to receive more than 15 hours child care a week as a result of changes to their policy on child care, and how much it would cost local authorities to fund such provision.

Lord Nash: The Government will be investing £6 billion per year in childcare by the end of this Parliament. That includes doubling the free offer for three- and four-year-olds with working parents to 30 hours, supporting families with the cost and flexibility of childcare, introducing tax-free childcare worth up to £2,000 per child per year and increasing support for low-income parents on Universal Credit. Every three- ‎and four-year-old, and the most disadvantaged two-year-olds will continue to benefit from 15 hours a week of free early education. Local authorities may also choose to provide additional hours of childcare. Such decisions are a matter for individual local authorities.

European Union: Education

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to examine material provided by the EU to UK schools and other educational establishments to ensure that it is appropriate in the light of Brexit.

Lord Nash: Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996 require schools to prevent political indoctrination and ensure the balanced treatment of political issues, including the UK’s membership of the European Union. Schools are aware of these requirements, and it is up to schools to understand their pupils’ needs and tailor their teaching accordingly.

Homosexuality: Northern Ireland

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, following the decision in the Ashers Bakery appeal, whether they intend to speak to the First Minister and the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on the issues raised in that case.

Lord Nash: The judgment in the Ashers Bakery appeal was made in accordance with the equality law that is in force in Northern Ireland rather than the Equality Act 2010 which applies in the rest of the UK. Any consideration of the issues raised in that case is therefore a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly in the first instance.

Civil Partnerships: Isle of Man

Baroness Hussein-Ece: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to recognise civil partnerships granted by the government of the Isle of Man to opposite sex couples who are resident in the UK.

Lord Nash: The 2004 Civil Partnership Act created civil partnerships for same sex couples only. The Act sets out how such relationships entered into outside the UK will be treated. It lists overseas relationships that will be treated as civil partnerships in the UK. It also sets out the conditions that, if met, will result in a relationship entered into elsewhere - but not included in the list - being treated as a civil partnership here. As opposite sex couples cannot lawfully register a civil partnership here, the Act provides that couples registering a relationship overseas are not to be treated as having formed a civil partnership if, at the time the relationship was formed, they were not of the same sex. This rule applies in the same way wherever a couple registers their relationship, and treats UK nationals and couples from elsewhere in the same way. It means that an opposite sex civil partnership registered in the Isle of Man is not treated as a civil partnership as a matter of UK law.

Children: Day Care

Baroness Pinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to provide funding to implement the pledge made in their manifesto, and the duty on the Secretary of State in the Childcare Act 2016, to extend the number of free childcare hours for working families.

Lord Nash: The Government will be investing over £1billion more per year by 2019-20 to fund our commitments on the early years entitlements. This includes £300million per year from 2017-18 for a significant increase to the hourly rate paid for the two-, three- and four-year-old entitlements. It is vital that funding for these entitlements is fairly distributed between different parts of the country and different types of providers. That is why we have recently consulted on our proposals for a national funding formula for these services. Our proposals will ensure that funding is based on the costs of meeting the needs of local children, not on historic spending patterns. We are currently considering all responses to the consultation, and are planning to publish the Government’s response soon.

Apprentices

Lord Aberdare: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that independent training providers are not unfairly disadvantaged when competing with further education colleges in the delivery of apprenticeships.

Lord Nash: The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has launched the application process for a new register for delivery of apprenticeships from 1 May 2017 – the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers. The register will be a list of organisations that have demonstrated their capability to deliver apprenticeship training, thereby encouraging diversity and competition in the provider market. Its application process has been developed in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, which require transparency and equal treatment of applicants. The evaluation criteria that test capability to deliver and quality of apprenticeship training do not differentiate between the types of organisation applying. From 1 May 2017, employers who will use a digital account to pay for their apprenticeship training will be able to choose any provider from the register to deliver their apprenticeship training.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Alcoholic Drinks

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are planning to prohibit powdered and vaporised alcohol in prisons.

Lord Keen of Elie: All forms of alcohol are prohibited within prisons. Unauthorised possession of any such item is a disciplinary offence which can result in additional days in prison.It is a criminal offence under the Prison Act to convey alcohol into or out of a prison or to pass it to a prisoner.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

BBC

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the letter of 20 October by Lord Ashton of Hyde concerning the draft BBC Charter and Agreement which has been placed in the Library of the House, whether they intend to ensure that the BBC is able to operate independently from Ministers and other public authorities in the UK.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The draft Charter and Agreement​ strengthen the independence of the BBC by giving it a powerful new unitary board, with the BBC able to appoint the majority of board members for the first time​, one of the longest charter periods in history, fewer protected areas of funding to increase the freedom the BBC has to use its money as it sees fit, and a new system of regular 5 yearly licence fee settlements.

BBC

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the letter of 20 October by Lord Ashton of Hyde concerning the draft BBC Charter and Agreement which has been placed in the Library of the House, whether they intend to make available to the BBC sufficient funds, through the licence fee, to enable the BBC to perform its functions and public purposes as a public service broadcaster.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The summer 2015 funding settlement represents a positive financial outcome for the BBC. The licence fee will rise over the next 5 years and by 2022 the BBC will have received around £18 billion of public money. ​ The BBC has welcomed this funding settlement. ​

BBC

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the letter of 20 October by Lord Ashton of Hyde concerning the draft BBC Charter and Agreement which has been placed in the Library of the House, whether they intend to ensure that the licence fee is for the exclusive benefit and use by the BBC to fund the performance of the BBC's functions and public purposes.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: The licence fee is not a payment for BBC Services or any other specific television service. ​The government will trial a contestable fund to benefit underserved audiences and genres​​, funded from broadband underspend, over the coming three years. The Government will consult on the fund in due course. ​

BBC

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the letter of 20 October by Lord Ashton of Hyde concerning the draft BBC Charter and Agreement which has been placed in the Library of the House, whether they intend to ensure that the regulatory powers conferred on OFCOM and the National Audit Office in relation to the BBC will be exercised in a way that is compatible with the principles of legal certainty, fairness and proportionality protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act.

Lord Ashton of Hyde: Public authorities must act in a manner compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The government expects that the NAO and Ofcom would seek to act in a way which is compatible with the Convention, but of course it is a matter for them to discharge their obligations.​

Home Office

Human Trafficking: Children

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish full details of the Child Trafficking Protection Fund.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: As announced by the Home Secretary on Thursday 27th October the Child Trafficking Protection Fund is now open for bids and will make available up to £3m over three years to fund innovative projects to protect and support victims of child trafficking.The Fund will enhance existing provisions to support these particularly vulnerable young people and will be open to both statutory and non-statutory organisations that work with potential victims. We encourage all interested organisations to put forward innovative proposals. More information can be found on the gov.uk contracts finder webpage.

Terrorism

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 16 September (HL1580), which organisations will deliver the new Desistance and Disengagement Programme; and whether the programme targets terrorist groups other than those related to Islamic extremism.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Delivery of the Desistance and Disengagement Pilot Programme will be led by the Home Office in conjunction with key stakeholders and other Governmental Departments.The Home Office will work alongside experienced practitioners and non-governmental organisations to deliver a suite of mentoring, psychological and theological interventions.The pilot programme will focus on those convicted of all terrorism, or terrorism related offences, who have served their custodial sentences and are due to be released on licence. It is therefore not limited to Islamist extremists.

Radicalism

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 16 September (HL1580), whether they plan to run a similar programme for Islamic extremists still in prison.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In line with the former Prime Minister’s commitment, we are currently considering how the Desistance and Disengagement programme can best be introduced within the prison estate.

Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the response by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 17 October (HL Deb, col 2164), what is meant by the word formally, what other concerns were raised, what exactly the Home Secretary and Permanent Secretary of the Home Office were told, and whether they will publish the full record of their exchange with officials at the level of Assistant Secretary or equivalent and above.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Secretary and the Permanent Secretary set out the position on the floor of the House and to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 17 and 18 October respectively.

Passports

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 29 July (HL1278), what assessment they have made of the potential for using polymer in new forgery proof passports.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The security features contained within the existing passport design, which was launched in November 2015, are expected to remain as they are until the end of the print fulfilment contract with De La Rue PLC, which runs until July 2019.We are currently in the early stages of the tendering process for a replacement to that contract; as part of that process we will assess the likely costs and benefits of using polymer in the next generation of passport design.

Office for Police Conduct

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of how the proposed replacement for the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the Office for Police Conduct, would achieve fair outcomes from investigations into alleged police misconduct incidents involving persons from black and minority ethnic communities.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has a strategic objective to improve the confidence of those groups who have least confidence in the police complaints system.Key measures for monitoring this are included in their public confidence survey next due to be undertaken in 2017. The most recent survey, undertaken in 2014, shows confidence in the impartiality of the IPCC amongst ethnic minority groups has improved. It is available on the IPCC website at: http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/page/public-confidence



PDF of public confidence survey.
(PDF Document, 7.69 MB)

HM Treasury

Sterling

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the volatility of sterling on savers, pensioners and other investments generally.

Lord Young of Cookham: The Government does not have a target for the sterling exchange rate and does not comment on currency movements. Instead the exchange rate is allowed to adjust flexibly in response to economic conditions, and movements in sterling are determined by market forces. We are going through a period of adjustment as the economy responds to the vote to leave the European Union. The fundamental strength of the UK economy means that it is well-placed to deal with the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead. The Government is working hard to lay the foundations for stable long term growth which will benefit savers, pensioners and all other groups.

Heathrow Airport

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the Barnet Consequential Payments to the devolved administrations arising from the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Lord Young of Cookham: We do not expect there to be Barnett consequential payments arising from the third runway itself at Heathrow Airport, because the scheme is privately financed. Heathrow Airport Ltd has also pledged to meet the costs of any surface access proposals that are essential to deliver airport expansion. Where projects have wider public benefits, the Government will consider the need for additional public funding on a case by case basis in line with the Aviation Policy Framework. For any additional UK Government spending the Barnett formula will be applied in the usual way at the appropriate time.

Cabinet Office

Electoral Register

Lord Rennard: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their response is to the recommendation of the Electoral Commission in its report on the 2016 EU referendum that "Governments should make use of all available owned channels to promote voter registration ahead of any major poll."

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen: We welcome the Electoral Commission’s recommendation. This recommendation reflects the success of activities conducted by the Government to promote registration ahead of the EU Referendum that complemented the activity delivered by the Commission.

Department of Health

Mental Hospitals

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of monitoring by the Care Quality Commission of the extent of the presence of police at mental health hospital psychiatric settings.

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the expectations of the Care Quality Commission in making publicly available information about the ethnic backgrounds of those patients in locked psychiatric wards who are involved in incidents with attending armed police officers.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not have a statutory role in monitoring the extent of the presence of police at mental health hospitals, or the ethnic backgrounds of those patients in locked psychiatric wards who are involved in incidents with attending armed police officers. Under the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, independent sector mental health establishments who are registered with the CQC are required to report, without delay, to the CQC any incident which is reported to or investigated by the police. Where a patient experiences serious harm or dies as the result of an incident which involved police attending the hospital, National Health Service providers are expected to report such incidents to the National Reporting and Learning System, and independent hospitals to the CQC.

NHS: Energy

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the total energy costs of the NHS in England for electricity and heating; what steps they are taking to reduce those costs; and what targets they have for such efficiencies.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The total cost of all energy supplies, including electricity, gas, oil and coal, to the National Health Service in 2015-16 was reported by the NHS as £570 million. This data is provided as reported by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. Delivering energy efficiency and generating financial savings for re-investment is the responsibility of NHS trusts locally. Savings can be made through a variety of approaches including better energy management and capital investment in more energy efficient infrastructure. However, Lord Carter’s Final Report Operational productivity and performance in English NHS acute hospitals: Unwarranted variations published in February 2016 estimated that £36 million could be saved from energy costs by acute NHS trusts through improved efficiency. A copy of Lord Carter’s Final Report is attached. The Department is working with the NHS to identify the potential for energy savings and providing support where necessary to deliver them. This includes encouraging the NHS to make energy savings through invest to save schemes.



Lord Carter Report
(PDF Document, 5.33 MB)

Cancer: Thromboembolism

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the risk of potentially fatal blood clots in cancer patients, whether they are planning to recommend to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence that the next update of Clinical Guideline 92 includes specific provisions on managing the risk of venous thromboembolism in patients receiving treatment for cancer.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and develops the detailed scope of individual guidelines through consultation with stakeholders. NICE has advised that the scope for its update of clinical guideline on venous thromboembolism - reducing the risk (CG92) covers a range of population groups, including: - Adults and young people (16 years and older) admitted to hospital- Adults and young people (16 years and older) attending hospital for day procedures including cancer treatment and surgery. In terms of prophylaxis, the scope specifies that individual populations will be investigated separately, including patients being treated for cancer who have been admitted to hospital or are having day procedures (including surgery and chemotherapy). The current clinical guideline published in January 2010 already identifies active cancer or cancer treatment as a risk factor for venous thromboembolism. It also makes specific recommendations on when to offer prophylaxis to patients with cancer.

Medical Records: Data Protection

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which of the recommendations of the Review by the National Data Guardian for Health and Care of Data Security, Consents and Opt-Outs published in June they intend to treat as formal recommendations to which they will provide a response.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department welcomed Dame Fiona Caldicott’s Review of Data Security, Consents and Opt-Outs and, following conclusion of a public consultation exercise, will respond to all recommendations in due course.